TSN unveiled its list of top 50 U-24 players this week and while many are established NHLers, there is a group that will be playing in the upcoming World Junior Championship.

There are 13 players on the top 50 list who are eligible for the tournament, including No. 1 Macklin Celebrini, No. 3 Matthew Schaefer and No. 27 Beckett Sennecke.

Unfortunately for Team Canada, Celebrini is too busy being a superstar for the San Jose Sharks while Sennecke has settled into a regular role with the Anaheim Ducks.

Schaefer was a lock to be on the Canadian World Junior team prior to the start of the season. But the blueliner has emerged as one of the Islanders’ best players so far as an 18-year-old rookie, to the point he’s too important for New York to release him.

Two defencemen playing in the NHL this season who do have a good chance of being released for Canada are San Jose’s Sam Dickinson (No. 33) and Calgary’s Zayne Parekh (No. 34).

Dickinson, who was drafted 11th overall last year, won CHL Defenceman of the Year in 2025 as he helped the London Knights win the Memorial Cup in June. Skating on the World Junior team that finished fifth last year, Dickinson had two assists in five games. He has one goal and one assist in 15 games with San Jose this season.

Parekh, the ninth-overall pick in the 2024 draft, has one assist in 11 games with the Flames this season. He previously won CHL Defenceman of the Year in 2024 as he helped Saginaw capture its first Memorial Cup in franchise history that same season. He was cut from Team Canada last year.

“I think you’re looking at potentially Canada’s top-pair defence,” said TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button of the duo. “And why wouldn’t they be, being back-to-back CHL defencemen of the year on back-to-back Memorial Cup champions.”

Dickinson’s Sharks teammate, forward Michael Misa, is also eligible for the World Juniors. However, Misa, who has one goal and two assists in seven games, is currently out with a high-ankle sprain and his availability is in question.

Misa is one of three 2025 draftees playing in the NHL this season, along with Schaefer and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel. If the 2025 second-overall pick is healthy and available, Button has Misa as an automatic for Canada after the 18-year-old missed the cut last year.

“Michael Misa would be a fabulous addition for Team Canada,” said Button. “The skill he brings. Again, a Memorial Cup champion, a Hlinka Gretzky champion. He’s performed on championship teams and been a good player.”

Kindel unexpectedly earned a spot out of training camp and has already played in 17 NHL games, scoring five goals with two assists. Drafted 11th overall by Pittsburgh in June, Kindel had 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games last season with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.

“He’s a good player that can play two ways,” said Button of Kindel. “He can kill penalties, [has] his speed and his brain, but he just adds more skill into your lineup. He’s a really good competitor.”

Three other players on the list who are expected locks for Canada are Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone (No. 29), Utah Mammoth prospect Caleb Desnoyers (No. 32) and Nashville Predators prospect Brady Martin (No. 35).

Martone made the jump from the CHL to the NCAA this season and has thrived at Michigan State with seven goals and 14 points in 10 games. Button has Martone, the 2025 sixth-overall pick, as a leading candidate to be Canada’s captain.

“He’s a force. I don’t know what else to say,” said Button.

Desnoyers missed the beginning of the season recovering from wrist surgery. The 2025 fourth-overall pick is coming off a year where he scored 35 goals with 84 points for the QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats.

“You talk about his ability to play the game when it’s hard, play the game offensively, defensively, competitively,” said Button of Desnoyers. “His ability to do so much in the game is tremendous.”

Martin, the 2025 fifth-overall pick, made the Predators out of training camp and appeared in three games, recording one assist, before being returned to the OHL.

“Brady is Mr. Everything,” said Button. “You got him, you got Martone. Guys that are just wired to be difference-makers. His skating, his energy, you can put him anywhere in the lineup. You can have him as your No. 1 centre; you have him as your 14th forward.”

For Team USA, defenceman Cole Hutson (No. 22) and forward James Hagens (No. 38) return from last year’s World Junior team that captured gold.

Hutson became the first defenceman in tournament history to lead the World Juniors outright in scoring with three goals and 11 points in seven games.

Now in his second season with Boston University, the Washington Capitals second-rounder has five goals and 16 points in 12 games.

“Cole Hutson returns as a go-to guy and a leading candidate to be the defenceman of the tournament,” said Button.

Hagens, who was taken seventh overall by Boston in June, has four goals and 11 points in 11 games this season with Boston College. At last year’s tournament, he had five goals and nine points in seven games.

“His role was a little bit lesser last year,” said Button of Hagens. “It’ll be a lot more significant this year and they’re going to be counting on him to take that step and be significant.”

The No. 26-ranked player on the top 50 list is Djurgardens centre Anton Frondell, who was taken third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in June and is expected to lead Sweden.

Frondell, 18, has eight goals and 13 points in 20 games as he is skating in Sweden’s top league this season.

Sweden finished in fourth place in last year’s tournament and haven’t won World Junior gold since 2012.

“He’ll be their lead guy,” said Button of Frondell. “There’s no question about it. Frondell is the straw that stirs the drink there. He is Mr. Everything. When he’s out on the ice, the coaches’ heart rates are lower. Their comfort levels are higher. Their stress levels are almost zero. He controls the game.

“He is Barkov-like. He just treats every shift like it’s something that’s really important. He does all the hard things and he’s got excellent skill and brain. When he’s out on the ice, it is not easy to play against him and he’s so capable of swinging the game in his team’s favour in so many different ways.”